CATIA for Engineers enables Digital Prototyping including Analysis and Simulation for design and validation of function quality and performance at all stages ofthe design.

Mechanical engineering is complex as assemblies are designed to perform a specific task with a specific target performance. Digital prototyping, combined with digital analysis and simulation, allows product development teams to virtually create and analyze a mechanical product in its environment. Mechanical engineers must be equipped with these tools so that they can gain insight into key factors in quality and performance early in the product development phase.

CATIA 3D Electrical Design

Unique design of large scale electrical systems within the virtual product

The complexity of large-scale electrical systems requires a process-specific solution in order to design faster and ensure quality. In addition, the use of physical prototypes creates certain drawbacks such as high costs, inflexible modifications, and the late recognition of design errors.

CATIA 3D Electrical Design delivers a process-specific solution for designing physical wire harnesses. This solution is driven by logical specifications and is integrated with harness manufacturing. By delivering a realistic simulation for 3D wire harness packaging in an integrated environment, this powerful solution reduces design time and increases the overall quality of large-scale electrical systems. It also enriches the design through realistic deformation of flexible harnesses by taking into account environmental conditions like gravity as well as the physical non-linear behavior of the harness and its protections.

Support catalog usage

CATIA 3D Electrical Design takes advantage of the V6 platform to efficiently store electrical objects within the database. Objects are classified within catalogs where the user can navigate freely or by query and the user can visualize content directly from the 3D Live portal.

Design geometrical harnesses in context

CATIA 3D Electrical Design allows you to create round, rectangular or oval bundle segments routed to electrical devices, supports, or any mechanical part. Several routing modes are available to manage slack, imposed length or bend radius and Finite Element Modeling technology provides a realistic harness shape and behavior (taking protection covering, routed wires, and splices into account). Connectivity between bundles, segments, and electrical devices or support is ensured and can easily be checked and analyzed.

Define wire harnesses

With CATIA 3D Electrical Design you can import from ECAD systems (through CAA API's or XML data format) or create directly in 3D the wires/cable list within the harness. Fast and automated wire routing is based on the shortest path and separation criteria or on company rules thanks to the knowledge integration. Once routed, all information, including wire length, is available for manufacturing report or for export to ECAD.